BJP’s Khadse to become new Leader of Opposition

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Eknath Khadse is all set to become the new Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.

The Opposition Shiv Sena-BJP on Tuesday submitted a joint letter to pro-tem Speaker Ganpatrao Deshmukh proposing the name of Khadse as the new Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.

The post had become a bone of contention between the Shiv Sena and the BJP as the

Sena was not ready to part with the post in spite of winning fewer seats than its coalition partner. As per the earlier arrangement between the two, the party that bagged the most seats would hold the position.

The BJP currently has 46 seats while the Sena has 44 seats in the state Assembly.

“We have unanimously decided that Khadse will be the Leader of Opposition and we have submitted his name to the speaker on Tuesday,” said BJP leader Vinod Tawde.

Khadse’s ascension to the post will be ratified in the Assembly on Wednesday.

Eknath Khadse, a fiery orator was finance and irrigation minister in the BJP-Shiv Sena government in the 1990s.

Elected from Muktainagar in Jalgaon district, Khadse has been involved in electoral politics for the past three decades.

He has represented the erstwhile Edlabad constituency since 1985 when he defeated present President Pratibha Patil.

Khadse was the group leader of the elected members of the BJP in the earlier Assembly too. “My brief will be to ensure that this government stays true in working towards the welfare of the society," Khadse said.